Is this real life?

Well it has been a week since I last wrote and I will try to fill you all in on what has been going on.

I started at the high school 3/26/12 and it was quite a change. I was used to planning so much every about every little thing in order to keep those middle schoolers on track, but at the high school it was a big change. I went from having 85 minute planning every other day to 3 hours every other day and 90 minutes on the alternating day. It was quite a switch and I felt like I didn't know what to do with myself. I had a lot of planning time throughout the day where I was able to type up my lesson plans (getting better) and also plan what to do. By the end of the day I was ready to go home at 4:00pm!

Now in all of our teaching classes we are told it is not an 8-4 job, but here I have so much time built in to my day to plan and do anything needed that I am done at 445 at the latest. Also the students are a little less rowdy (still, but less) and are more whipped into shape. I mean it is the high school now and the end of the year, so these kids know what they are doing. Again my teacher is great. She has so much energy and she has a great rapport with the students. It feels almost easier in this classroom to go with the flow of the students, to accept few disruptions in order to engage the students. Overall thus far my experience has been great. I will be getting observed for the second time this Thursday and hope that it goes well. Today was a long break after a holiday weekend and my kids were a bit rowdy, but I made it through. I am getting used to these kids and I hope they are to me also.

Now last weekend I went down to Nebraska to watch some DWU baseball and the man pitch. They had an up and down weekend and came out at .500. The main reason of traveling to Nebraska was for what would happen 4/2. I was asked to come down for an interview for a Middle School Spanish Teacher position. Later on the car ride home I received a phone call with a job offer. I took the whole week and the Easter weekend to think of the offer and to contemplate others that I had been looking into. After going home this Easter weekend and talking with my family, loved ones, and former teachers/colleagues I made a final decision and returned the phone call yesterday morning. I accepted the job position and am currently waiting for a contract and all that it entails. I have had quite a great spring: 2 great CTs for my Student Teaching, being told I was a fluent Spanish speaker by a Native speaker, receiving my desired summer job title (will help me prepare for my real teaching experience) and a job offer that I accepted, oh and finally being told that my man will be traveling with me wherever I decide to go.

I am trying not to move to fast right now for my student teaching is almost complete (3 short weeks left). I am trying to train for a half marathon and holy it has been a MARATHON training. With school and homework it is weird to have it represent what the real world will be like and how I need to learn to manage that. My marathon is in 3 weeks at the end of the month, I will be ending Student Teaching shortly after and then graduating from college. Wow this is all so surreal to me. I am lucky that I have such a great support system from everyone around me: former childhood friends/classmates, teachers, coworkers, family members, significant others, friends and many more. I am just grateful for everything and do not take any of this for granted.

 I just cannot imagine what other type of position I would even desire taking if it weren't for teaching. This is my calling and I hope I can have something to show for it by the time I am seasoned.

Thank you to all those who read this and all those who support me.